Miss Winston is the new teacher at Powderkeg School, after Mr. Coogan falls from a horse and is no longer able to teach. She is nineteen years old at her arrival and has come west from Camden, Maine and nineteen years old. Her father is a ship captain for cargo ships along the eastern coast with wool and tobacco. She has dark hair and can be very stern; however Lisbeth says that she is less stern than Mr. Coogan was. She became a teacher (and went out west) because she was not ready to marry and become a housewife. At first Kirsten doesn't like her very much, because she is very strict in school and Kirsten does not enjoy school at all (or speaking in English), and feels that Miss Winston does not understand her difficulties learning English; Kirsten is exceptionally distressed when she comes to live with them. As Kirsten gets to know her better, she warms up to her and learns more, and they begin to understand each other well.